Mitigating Migraines

Good Saturday to you!

What a good day to talk about migraines! For some a Queensland election day would be a good starting point for a migraine headache, for others it wouldn't even raise the blood pressure. Migraines are a little like this for those who suffer - some suffer terribly and others can ride it out. The reason I chose to write about this one is that I had the pleasure of experiencing this in a very rare expression of chemical revoltion from my body earlier this week - I had a pertinent reminder of what this feels like for regular sufferers.

Fortunately I could trace back to the day before I woke to discover the causes of my sudden onset of cracking thunderous pain, nauseating sleep disturbances and absolute sensitivity to anything that required my focused attention. Mine was a combination of salicylate over dose (caffeine, curry, organic merlot and organic dark chocolate - none in large doses, but in combination were effective) and a weights training session which saw my body contracting just that little too much for that chemical combination surging through my system. Lucky, my body knew to purge it out and relief was soon mine, but not before a dance of natural remedies that all helped to culminate this mini health crisis quicker than I know some before me have done. No chemical pain relief was taken either.

So what is a migraine? Basically it is a debilitating headache that goes beyond the normal realm of headache - it really affects the nervous system related to the circulation, audio and visual pathways in the body. This is why light and noise sensitivity is heightened during this time.

A migraine is quite different to a cluster headache or severe tension headache but the approach can by much the same when addressing causes and solutions. Migraines are also represented by an increase of circulation to the brain and its coverings so the more toxic your body is the higher the pain level and longer the duration it may affect you.

Here are some of the most important things to consider when and if you suffer migraines frequently:

1. Address any suspected food sensitivities and begin to eliminate/heavily reduce them for at least 6 if not 12 weeks

2. Consider a good magnesium and b6 formula - and if possible grab one that has anti inflammatory and liver cleansing herbs as well - I have one that is great if you can't find it in your local health food store.

3. Keep your hydration up - water intake can really determine how much toxic chemical impact your lifestyle has on your migraine career! Add ginger and fresh turmeric to your water for extra anti inflammatory action.

4. Consider having melatonin checked - a high melatonin reading is indicative of migraines and also a problem with an important chemical pathway for optimal health called methylation. Poor methylation outcomes can also lead to many other health issues including high blood pressure, miscarriage risks and some cell mutations as in the case of cancer.

5. Reduce tannins and salicylate rich foods (tea and wine for tannin), as they affect the migraine sufferer quickly

6. Encourage regular bowel elimination through adequate water soluble fibre, water and probiotic intake. The slower the bowel elimination is, the higher your toxin residue is in your body and blood stream - just waiting for quick delivery during an increase of circulation (as in exercise, stress).

7. Take care of your stress levels - get muscle relaxing massages (not when you have migraines as that will aggravate it), yoga, stretching, rest, adrenal support and time out in nature.

Remember - migraines are helped with reducing circulation to the head area - try a cold neck compress with a warm foot bath to start with before you load up on chemical pain relief - this can add to the toxicity!

As a naturopath I believe that patients are looking for empathy, results oriented and achievable health advice as well as consideration for the family budget when it comes to supplement and remedy selection.Nicky Wood -Gold Coast Naturopath